Combined thread cutter and holder



March 24; 1931. H. L. BLANCHARD 1,797,938

COMBINED THREAD CUTTER AND HOLDER Filed May 17, 1950 Patented Mar. 24,1931

- U E STATES PATEN oFFica HABOLD'L. BLANCHARD, OF MILLBURY,- MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T CROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOM WOB KS, OF VORCEST'ER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS COMBINEDTHREAD CUTTER AND HOLDER Application. filed May 17, 1930. Serial N0..453,376.'

lo looms there are several weights having normally closed coil tension springs, the coils of the springs gripping the several weft ends between, them. The weights are movable downwardlyxin guides to take up any slack which occurs in the weft ends and a cutter is provided for severingexcess lengths of ends. It is an important object of my present invention to provide a manually operated device bymeans of whichthe weighted thread'hold- 2 er and the cutter may be operated by a single motion on the part of the weaver.

It is a further object of my present invention to provide means whereby the cutter may be opened and the coils of the spring ex-' F panded to receive weft ends by a single means which may be actuatedby the operator It is another object of my present invention to provide means for raising and expanding the springs and then subsequently 7 operating the cutterwhile the springs remaln raised, .these results being achieved by a single and easily operated contrivance In the operation of thedevice set forth here nafter a manually operated device is efiective to ex- 5 pand the closed coils, the latter receiving the weft ends between them, and exerting a tensional strain which tends to lower the'manually operated device to a position where the latter will be out of position to interferewlth downward slack taking-up movements of the weftends; q

- With these and other ob ects in VIEW which will appear 'as the description proceeds, my

invention resides in the combination and arrangementaof parts hereinafter described and set forth inthe'claims. 1

- In he accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient. embodiment ofcmy invention is-set forthfl;

Fig: 1 isa front elevation 'ofaa portion pfa weft replenishingmagazine having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation 011 an enlarged scaijle taken in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1,

1 Fig. 5,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view rection of arrow 4, Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through one of the weighted thread holding elements,

Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section on line 66, Fig. 2, and

Fig. 7 is a detail horizontal section online 7-7 of Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 1 I have shown a weft replenishing mechanism 10 having arranged therein a stack ofreserve bobbins, 11 from eachof which extend a weft end 12. It is to be understood that there will be several taken in the distacks of reserve bobbins and that the weft ends will be arrangedin groups, one for each stack. One of the tie rods 13 which form a part of the construction of the replenishing mechanism is extended and supports a frame 14 having a series of vertical holes 15 therein. Slots 16 extend to the left from the holes as seen in Figs. 3 and 4.

In-each of the holes 15 is a thread holder designated generally at 17 and having a weighted element 18 provided with a vertical 8 bore 19 through which extends a rod 20. The

vupper end of the rod is secured to a head 21 while the lower end is provided with a lifting foot 22. I The member 18 and head 21 are provided with shoulders 23 which grip the end coils of a tension spring 2ft. Each spring has normally closed coils formed of a wire the lower end of which is extended to form a finger 25 movable through one of the slots 16.

A plate 26 is secured to the top part of the w 1 frame 'lt'and has secured thereto a lower ourter blade 27 to cooperate with a movable blade 28. movably pivoted around a tie rod 18. A collar 29 adjustably mounted on the tie rod variesthepressure which is exerted by compression spring'30 on pad 31 bearing against the cutter 28-1 i I At the beginning ofthe weaving operation theweights will be raised until the fingers 25"engagelthelbottom ofplate'26, afterwhich ll 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of I :J; or space into which -10 through which extends v to permit continued upward movement of the rods 20 will expand the springs so that the weft ends 12 may be passed between the separated coils, subsequent contraction of the coils gripping the weft ends. The cutter 28 may then be depressed to sever excess length of weft ends and as successive transfers take place in the replenishing mechanism the weights will descend'to keep -,the weft ends substantially taut.

The matter thus far described forms no part of my present invention.

In carrying my invention into effect I provide improved means for raising the weighted elements and expanding springs 21, and also operating the cutter 28. Accordingly, I provide the frame 1a with a bearing rod llto the lower endof which 1s secured a lifter plate 4-2. The'latter is positioned to lie under all of the feet 22 and is adjustable on the-rodll by means of screw 43. {The upper end of the rod Mpasses through a guide 4A secured-to the movable cutter28. and having. a slot I angular movement of the blade while the rod 41 moves along its axis. A hand hold 46 is secured tothetop of the rod 4-1 and there is located between the bearing 10 and the guide 44 an adjustable collar 47 to engage the guide 4 1 for the purpose of raising the. cutter blade; A stop l 8 fixed to the frame .14; limits downward,movement of the blade 28. and also the parts moving with the rod 41.

In order to'keep the lifter plate 42 correctly alignedwith thefeet22l slab the-rod ll as at 49 andthrea'd a screw 50 into the bearing 40 to have guiding relation with the rod and prevent angular movementthereto. Screw 50 is spaced slightly from'the flattened part of the rod so asto permit free vertical motion of the latter.

\Vhen it is desired to raise the weighted members 18 as previously describedthe operator will grasp the hand'hold 46 and elevate the same to cause plate 42 to raise all the feet 22. After the fingers 25 engagethebottom of the plate 26the operatorwill continue 1 to raise the handhold,'thereby expanding all of the springs. During the latter partof the ipward movement of'the rod 411 the collard? will engagethe guide d tto liftthe cutter blade'28 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, thereby providing a notch the operator-may lead weftends extending from the newly inserted reserve bobbins. I

,After the weft endshavefbeen secured to the springsthe operator w ll depresstherod ,elLuntil it assumes the position shown in Fig.

2, this operation accomplishing two results,

namely, closing thecutterbljades tosever the ,excessjlenfih of weft en'ds,,andflowering of p atei 42 so as -,to permit t he f-weighted mer'b'ersIS -to in'ove 'downwafd-ly-to 't-he position.

blade 28 which is inclined downwardly and toward its pivot.

The upper ends of the heads 21 will be in a substantially horizontal line, so that the springs which are farthest from the pivot of the cutter blade 28 will not interfere .with movement of weft ends to the springs which are nearer said pivot. The lifting collar 47 may be placed at any point alongthe length of the rod 21 which will give most advantageous lifting ofthe blade 28.

From the foregoing it will be seen thatI have provided a simple means for raising thegravity actuating thread holder and at the same time opening the cutter. It will also be noted that by reverse movement of the rod 41 the cutter blade- 28'1'uay be positively-closed to sever excess length of weft ends an'd'that the plate '42 will thereby be lowered to a position where it will n'ot'interfere with the downward movement of'the weightedmemhers 18. Furthermore, when the blade isin raised position it is diagonally disposed with respect toa liorizontal line and therefore affords access to all of the expanded springs despite the fact that the heads 21 may beraised.

"It will-also be seen that when theplate .42 is raised sufliciently to open 'beseen-th'atchanges and modifications may be made therein'by those skilled intheart without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and- I do not wish to be limited tothe details herein disclosed, but w-hatI claim is: p

1. In aloom'having reserve bobbinsfrom which extend weft ends, a movable thread holder, a cutter to sever excess. length of weft ends extending from the holder, and a single meansto "open and close sai'd cutter and also move the-thread holder'to thread receiving 2. In a loom havingreseiwebobbins from which extend weft ends, a movable ,thIBilCl. holder, 'a cutter tosever excess length o'fweft ends extending fIf0l11 the 'l1Ol.d81 :and: means to simultaneously raise thet-lrread'holder-to thread receiving positioirand open the cutter. 3. In a loomhaving-reserve"bobbinsifrom which extend weft -ends, l:a :movable thread holder, a cutter to-sever: excessrlength 10f weft ends extending from the holder, a singlejl vice 'anovalile'withrespect -=to the "holder to move the latter to thread receiving and also to open the cutter.

4. In a loom having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a movable thread holder, a cutter to sever excess length of weft ends extending from the holder, an operating device having lifting means for raising the thread holder to thread receiving position and having other means for giving the cutter a cutting stroke, the operating device moving the lifting means out of the path of the thread holder when giving the cutter its cutting movement.

5. In a loom having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a movable thread holder, a cutter to sever excess length of weft ends extending from the holder, and means to simultaneously move the thread holder and cutter to thread receiving position.

6. In a weft replenishing loom having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a frame, a thread holder to be secured to the weft ends and movable downwardly in said frame to hold the weft ends taut, and a cutter pivotally mounted with respect to the frame to sever excess length of weft ends extending beyond the thread holder, a device supported by and movable with respect to the frame and effective to simultaneously raise the thread holder to thread receiving position and to open the cutter.

7. In a weft replenishing loom having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a frame, a thread holder to be secured to the weft ends and movable downwardly in said frame to hold the weft ends taut, and a cutter pivotally mounted with respect to the frame to sever excess length of weft extending beyond the thread holder, an operating device supported by and movable vertically with respect to the frame, a lifting element secured to the device to raise the thread holder to thread receiving position, a cutter engaging clement secured to the device to open; the cutter when the thread holder is raised, and means to depress the device to close the cutter and move the lifting member out of the path of the downward movement of the thread holder.

8. In a weft replenishing loom having re serve bobbins from which. extend weft ends, a weighted normally closed coil spring thread holder movable downwardly under the action of gravity, movable means to be operatively related to the thread holder to lift the same and expand the spring to open the coils to receive weft ends, said spring when expanded tending to exert a force on said means to move the same downwardly out of engaging position with respect to the thread holder.

9. In a weft replenishing loom having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a normally closed coil tension spring to have operative connection with the weft ends, said spring being movable downwardlyto take position up slack in the weft ends, means to be raised to lift the spring against the action of gravity and also to expand the coils thereof to place the spring under tensional strain to receive the weft ends, said strain tending to lower the lifting means to a position where the latter will be out of engaging position with respect to the spring as the latter moves downwardly.

10. In a weft replenishing mechanism having reserve bobbins from which extend groups of weft ends, a plurality of vertically movable thread holders each to have operative engagement with a group of weft ends, a cutter blade to remove excess length of Weftextending beyond the thread holders, means to raise the thread holders and simultaneously open the cutter, the cutter having an edge oblique with respect to the plane of the upper portions of the thread holders to define an angular notch through which the weft ends may be passed.

11. In a weft replenishing loom having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a thread holder element to be moved to thread receiving position, and a thread cutter element to be moved to thread receiving position and subsequently to thread cutting position, and a. single means effective to give said elements their respective movements.

12. In a weft replenishing loom having reserve bobbins from which extend Weft ends, a fixed structure, a thread holder for the weft ends movable in the structure, a thread cutter for the weft ends, a'pivot on the structure for the cutter, and a device between the pivot and holder to actuate the cutter.

13. In a weft replenishing loom having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a fixed structure, a thread holder for the weft ends movable in the structure, a thread cutter for the weft ends, a pivot on the structure for the cutter, and a device between the pivot and holder to move both the cutter and thread holder.

14. In a weft replenishing loom having reserve bobbins from which extend Weft ends, a thread holder comprising a closely wound coil spring connected to the weft ends and tending to move in a given direction to take up slack in the Weftends, and a device to be operatively related to the spring and movable in a direction opposite to said given direction to expand the coils of the spring, said spring when expanded exerting a force tending to move said device in said given direction toward a position where said device will be out of engaging position with the holder.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

HAROLD L. BLANCHARD. 

